The board will vote on the Senator's application for a beer, wine and liquor restaurant license, and co-owner Kathleen Cusack Lyon says she feels confident the application will be approved. Lyon — who owns the Senator with her father and Charles Theatre owner James "Buzz" Cusack — says the Senator has the support of various community members and groups, including the Belvedere Improvement Association and Councilman Bill Henry, who says he plans to attend the Liquor Board hearing as a sign of support.

"We've done due diligence to reach out to the community," Lyon said.

If the application is approved, the Senator, which has been closed since April 2012, will continue its construction process. Lyon says the theater is currently in talks with a "local restaurant guy" about running the Senator's cafe, which will focus on small plates.

In terms of other areas of construction, Lyon says the restoration of the auditorium is "almost complete," and the next step will be to install seats.

She gets asked about the Senator's reopening every day. In June, Cusack told the Sun that he hoped the Senator, located in Rosebank, would reopen in August, but Lyon would not give a specific reopening date during an interview on Wednesday.

"We are going to open as soon as we can," she said. "We're working on plans for the opening night. We're pleased with the progress."

The Senator's application is one of six cases to be heard by the Liquor Board at 2 p.m. on Thursday.

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